Apparatus for treating pulverulent materials with gases



(No Model.)

E. SOLVAY. APPARATUS PoR TRBATING PULVERULENT MATERIALS WLTH GASESPatented Aug. 15,1898.

[Ill..

NrTED STATES PATENT OEEICE,

ERNEST SOLVAY, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOLVAY PROCESSCOMPANY, OE SYRACUSE, NETV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING PULVERULENT MATERIALS WITH GASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,556, dated August15, 1893.

Application filed April 14, 1890. Serial No. 347,895. (No model.)Patented in Belgium Ap1ill9, 1889, No. 85,896; in France April 30, 1889,No. 197,858, and in England May 28, 1889,11'0. 8,872.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ERNEST SoLvAY, a subject of the King of Belgium,residing at Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in an Apparatus for Treating Pulverulent Material withGases, (for which I have obtained patents in Belgium, No. 85,896, datedApril 19, 1889; in France, No. 197,853, dated April 30, 1889, and inGreat Britain, No. 8,872, dated May 28, 1889,) of which the following isa description.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for methodically andcontinuously treating powdered substances with gases, and has for itsobject a simple and effective construction for attaining the desiredresult with a maximum amount of efficiency and a minimum amount oflabor; and to this end it consists, essentially, in an upright retort orvessel for containing the material to be treated provided with an inletin one end and with an outlet in the other end for permitting theentrance and removal of said material, trunnions provided upon thecentral portion of said retort or vessel, means, substantially asdescribed, for reversing the position of the ends of the retort orvessel, a gas inlet pipe connected to admit a current of gas into theend of said retort or vessel provided with the outlet opening, and a gasoutlet pipe connected to withdraw the gas from the opposite end of theretort or vessel.

The invention also consists in the detail construction and arrangementof the parts, all as hereinafter more partcula rly described and pointedout in the claims.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, in which like lettersindicate corresponding parts.

The drawing represents a longitudinal vertical section of my improvedapparatus.

t It is well known that from the standpoint of industrial method andcontinuity the typical apparatus when the question is to cause heat andgases to act on a material in 'small pieces, is the continuous limekiln, but this apparatus so simplepnethodioal, continuous and economicalceases to be useful when the material to be treated is in powdered form.This is caused. by the fact that gases circulating in these kilns fromtop to bottom, make for themselves irregular paths in this powderedsubstance, forming chimneys by which they pass entirely, while outsideof the iniiuences of this current there remain whole zones of material,which, owing to their greater resistance to the progress of the gas, areunaected thereby. By my present apparatus I have sought to produce aconstruction adapted to treat powdered substances, and possessingtherefor all the advantages of the continuous lime kiln and none of itsdisadvantages.

Brieiiy stated, my invention consists in an apparatus whereby the gas ispermitted to pass from top to bottom, thus causing the weight ofmaterial to prevent the formation of passages of easier resistance, andby then reversing the apparatus and removing the sufficientl y actedupon material from the normal top and supplying fresh material at thenormal bottom, which are then reversed in position and by then returningsaid apparatus to its normal position when the action of the gascontinuesas before by traversing from the top to the bottom the materialto be acted upon,

-A- represents a retort or vessel of suitable form, size and shape, andhere illustrated as of greater length than width and formed of an outershell -aand an inner shell rC1/- thereby preventing radiation and lossof heat.

Suitably secured to the retort or vessel A- are the hollow trunnions -Band --B which are preferably placed at the central portion of the retortin order that its extremities may balance and require but a little powerto eiect their reversal by partially revolving the retort upon thetrunnions. Discharging into the trunnion -B- is the gas inlet pipe -C-,and opening from said trunnion -B is the passage -b extended upwardlyand registered with an inlet bin the normal top of the retort or vessel--A-. The gas, as previously described, traverses the material withinthe retort or vessel A from top to bottom and thus passes through theoutlet openings -D- in the normal base of said receptacle. As preferablyconstructed, there are several of these openings, and they are formed ina pair of plates ci and -dapparatus, fresh material should be insertedat the topand the material sufficiently acted upon should be'withdrawnrfrom the bottom" as previously set forth. To effect this desirableresult, I provide any suitable actuating means -G- for rotating the saidretort or vessel -A- on its t-runnions. As illustrated, this actuatingmeans consists of agear -gsecured to one of the trunnions, a gear -egsupported by brackets g2- and operated by a crank or other powertransmitting means -gsand an intermediate gear or gearing -g4 whereby,upon the rotation of the crank, motion is transmitted from the gear -gtothe gear -gfor rotating said retort or vessel.

Provided at the ynormal top of the retort lA- is the outlet opening Hfor the material sufficiently acted upon, which opening is closed by asuitably shaped cap -l-.

Provided at the normal base of the retort o1' vessel --Au is an inletopening -J- for fresh material closed by a cap -K- which is securelyretained in position by means of fastening means -L- consisting of alever -Z- pivoted to the base of the retort, and retained in position bya swinging link Zi- The cap -K- is provided at its inner face with apair of perforated plates kf and -7rwhich form a continuation of theplates -dand -cZ- for allowing the escape of the gas from said retort orvessel, and when said cap is removed after the receptacle is rov tatedso that its normal base is at the top,

v.here is an opening into the interior of the said retort or vesselwhereby fresh material may be inserted. When, as described, the saidretort is rotated so that its normal top becomes the lowest partthereof, the cap -I- is removed and the material which has beensufliciently acted upon is withdrawn.

In order to prevent the destruction of the separate zones of materialsufficiently and insufficiently acted upon, I prefer to provide a falsetop -M- movably mounted on a clamping device or screw -N-. By this meansthe false top is forced against the top of the material within theretort or Vessel i and crowds the same downward so that when the saidretort is rotated, all liability of settling of the material and theaforesaid destruction of the zon es thereof are absolutely prevented.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from theforegoing description and upon reference t0 the drawing, and it isevident that at a minimum cost of expense for fuel and labor, a maximumdegree of efficiency and continuity of operation is effected. I do not,however, restrict my invention to the operation upon any particular formof material since it may be used in the manufacture of chlorine by meansof chlorides under the action of air; the calcination of powderedphosphates; the burning of pyrites; the revivitcation of lime muds; themanufacture of ferrite of soda; themanufacture of aluminate of soda,(to.

My apparatus may also be employed in the action of a cold gas on a solidbody in powder, or in small grains", as inthe manufacture of chloride oflime by the action of pure or diluted chlorine on the lime.

This apparatus may also be used in the action of a liquid on powderedsolid bodies, as for instance, the caustification of ammoniacal Salts bymeans of lime. It will be understood, also, that l do not limit myinvention to its precise form and arrangement since the same may besomewhat varied from that described, Without departing from the spiritof my invention. M

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The herein described apparatus, the same comprising an upright retortor vessel for containing .the material to be treated, provided with aninlet opening in one end for permitting the entrance of said materialand provided with an outlet opening in its opposite end for permittingthe removal of said material, removable caps for opening and closingsaid openings, means, substantially as described, for reversing thepositions of the ends of the retort or vessel, a gas inlet passage eX-tending from substantially the central portion of the retort or vesselto the end provided with the outlet opening, and a gas outlet passageextending from substantially the central' portion of the retort orvessel to the opposite end thereof provided with the inlet opening,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The herein described apparatus, the same comprising an upright retortor vessel for containing the material to be treated provided with aninlet in its normal lower end for permitting the entrance of thematerial to be treated and with an outlet in its opposite end forpermitting the removal of said material, trunnions provided upon thecentral portion of said retort or vessel, means, substantially asdescribed, for reversing the position of the ends of the retort orvessel, a gas inlet pas.

sage extendingY from substantially the same plane as the trunnions tothe normal upper end of the retort or vessel, and a gas outlet passageextending also from substantially the same plane as the trunnions to theopposite end of the -retort or vessel, substantially as described.

3. The herein described apparatus, the same comprising an upright retortor vessel for containing the material to be treated, provided with 'aninlet in its normal lower end and With an outlet in its normal upperendfor permitting the entrance and removal of said material, hollowtrunnions provided upon the central portion of said retort or vessel,means, substantiallyv as described, for reversing the position of theends of the retort or vessel, a gas inlet pipe connected to onetrunnion, a gas outlet pipe connected to the opposite trunnion, a gasinlet passage extending from the trunnion connected to the inlet pipe tothe normal upper end of the retort or vessel, and a gas outlet pipeextending from the cpposite trunnion to the opposite end of the retortor vessel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The herein described apparatus,tl1e same consistingr of a retort orvessel for the material to be treated, an inlet and outlet for passing acurrent of gas through said material, an inlet and outlet for thematerial, means, substantially as described, for reversing the positionof the ends of the retort or vessel, and a plate movable Within saidretort or vessel for supporting the material during said reversal,substantially as specified.

'5. The herein described apparatus, the same consisting of a retort orvessel for the material to be treated, provided at one end with aninlet, and at the other with an outlet for the material to be treatedhollow trunnions for pivoting said retort or vessel, passages leadingfrom said hollow trunnions to the opposite ends of the retort or vesselfor forming an inlet and an outlet to admit and Withdraw the gas fortreating said material, means, substantially as described, for reversingthe ends of said retort or vessel, and a plate movable Within thereceptacle for supporting the material during said reversal,substantially as described.

6. The herein described apparatus,the same consisting of a retort orvessel for the mate- CID rial to be treated, provided with an openingfor said material an inlet and an outlet passage for conducting acurrent of gas through said retort or vessel, a cover for said opening,provided with a passage extending therethrough for permitting thepassage of the gas, substantially as specified.

7. The herein described apparatus,the same consisting ot a retort orvessel `for the material to be treated, provided with an opening forsaid material an inlet and an outlet pas sage for conducting a currentof gas through said retort or vessel, a movable cover for said openingin the retort or vessel, means, substantially as described, forreversing the opposite ends of the retort or vessel, and a hingedsupport for holding said cover in its normal position during thereversal of the retort or vessel, substantially as set forth.

8. The herein described apparatus, the same consisting of a retort orvessel for the material to be treated, provided with an inlet in one endand with an outlet in the side Wall of its opposite end for permittingthe entrance and removal of said material gas inlet and outlet pipeshaving their adjacent extremities disposed in a plane substantiallycoincident with the central portion of the retort or vessel, passagesextending from of the pipes to the opposite ends ofthe retort or vesselfor conducting a current of gas therethrough from end to end, means,substantially as described, for reversing the ends of said retort orvessel, a plate movable Within said receptacle at the extremity oppositeto said inlet for supporting the material during said reversal, andsubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at the city of Brussels, Belgium, this 12th dayof December, 1889.

ERNEST SOLVAY. Witnesses:

R. LUcIoN,

GREGORY PHELAN.

said extremities

